Scare Up Halloween Fun in Missouri

For years, Lemp Mansion has been considered one of the most haunted sites in St. Louis. Photo courtesy of St. Louis CVC.

October is the month for festivals, fall weather and frights. There is no shortage of Halloween fun in Missouri, including haunted houses, terrifying tours and spooky sites to visit and have a good scare with family and friends

Northeast Missouri Scares
Visitors to Lemp Mansion in St. Louis expect a great meal at the restaurant, a lively theatre performance, andsometimes, a comfortable night’s stay – all accompanied by things they can’t explain.

“Ghosts are just another part of the strange mansion,” says owner Paul Pointer, who operates the mansion as a restaurant and lounge, a lodging establishment with six guestrooms, a dinner theatre and a museum. “People come here expecting to experience weird things. Fortunately for us, they are rarely disappointed.”

Many employees and guests have encountered strange happenings: the spirit of a man sitting at one of the dining room tables; a male apparition with a two-inch beard; objects and tables that have moved and levitated.

For years, Lemp Mansion has been considered one of the most haunted sites in St. Louis – and perhaps in Missouri. Strange noises have been recorded. Photos of unusual shadows and shapes – including apparitions – have been captured but not seen by the naked eye. During a massive renovation project, a painter walked off the job because he couldn’t stand the constant feeling of being watched by an unseen entity.

Built in the late 1860s, Lemp Mansion was the residence and office of William J. Lemp and his family, owners of the famous Lemp Brewery, the original brewer of Falstaff Beer. The home’s haunted history is connected to Lemp tragedy: three members of the family took their own lives in the mansion.

Lemp Mansion is one of many places in Missouri you can explore the paranormal – and perhaps test your bravery – while learning more about the people, places and events that are part of Show-Me State lore.

Find out for yourself why Lemp Mansion is famous; Haunted Tours, the Mystery Dinner Theatre and other supernatural-themed events are scheduled throughout the year. Lemp Mansion is located at 3322 DeMenil Place in St. Louis; call 314-664-8024 or visit their website at LempMansion.com.

West of St. Louis, Main Street in St. Charles has more than its share of mysterious manifestations. Be exposed to the mysteries on regularly scheduled excursions with St. Charles Ghost Tours.

And farther north, in America’s Hometown, the Haunted Hannibal Ghost Tours take you on a spine-tingling, guided driving tour to learn the secrets of many of Hannibal’s most notoriously haunted sites.

Additionally, the Moneywatch article mentioned Kansas City’s The Hotel Savoy, said to be haunted by the spirits of two former guests, and the John Wornall House, which was used as a hospital in the Civil War, among the city’s most-haunted properties.

And Beyond
If these scares aren’t enough, an organization called Paranormal Adventures USA offers guided ghost-tours of three Show-Me State cities: Excelsior Springs, where the dead walked among the living (The Elms Hotel is a must-see for ghost seekers); Independence, including the Independence Square, with at least one haunted building on every block, plus visits to a haunted mansion and a haunted museum; Liberty, where the Odd Fellows Home (now known as the Belvoir Winery) is said to be one of the most haunted buildings in the Midwest. (These tours are open for those ages 12 and older.)

In New Madrid, believed to be one of the most haunted small towns in America, visit three haunted locations on the New Madrid Ghost Tour; this year’s tours are Oct. 18-19 and 25-26.